Taglines: Quand une passion devient…
Damage movie storyline. A member of Parliament (Irons) falls passionately in love with his son’s fiancée. They pursue their affair with obsessive abandon despite the dangers of discovery and what it would do to his complacent life and his son. Completely obsessed, he wants to give up his current lifestyle to be with her. She has no intention of allowing him to do this, preferring to have her marriage to the son as a cover. They are eventually discovered, and must deal with the damage. Based on the novel by Josephine Hart.
Damage is a 1992 British/French film directed by Louis Malle and starring Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves and Ian Bannen. Based on the novel Damage by Josephine Hart, the film is about a British politician (Irons) who shares a sexual relationship with his son’s girlfriend and soon to be fiancée. Miranda Richardson was nominated for an Academy Award and won a BAFTA in the category of Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the aggrieved wife of the film’s main character.
Awards and Nominations
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Miranda Richardson
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Score — Zbigniew Preisner
Nomination: César Award for Best Actress — Juliette Binoche
Nomination: Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Miranda Richardson
Nomination: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress — Miranda Richardson
About the Story
Dr. Stephen Fleming (Irons), a physician by training who has entered politics and become a government minister for the environment, leads a privileged life in London with his wife Ingrid (Richardson) and young daughter Sally (Gemma Clarke). Their adult son, Martyn (Graves), a rising young journalist, lives elsewhere in London.
At a diplomatic reception, Stephen meets a young woman named Anna Barton (Binoche), the daughter of a British diplomat and Elizabeth Prideaux (Leslie Caron), her four-times married French mother who “lives in Palm Springs”. Anna, who works in the arts and antiques department at Sotheby’s auction house, introduces herself as a close friend of Martyn’s but it is apparent that Stephen and Anna are instantly attracted to each other.
A short time later Martyn brings Anna with him when he briefly drops by his parents’ sumptuous home to introduce her to his family and reveals that they are romantically involved. The developing sexual tension between Stephen and Anna becomes increasingly clear at this brief meeting although Martyn and his mother seem oblivious to this.
Despite her relationship with Martyn, Anna arranges a tryst with Stephen at her small London town house. The following day, Martyn is appointed deputy political editor at his London-based national newspaper. Ingrid arranges a dinner to celebrate in London. While at dinner, Ingrid shows a distrust in Anna and asks her aggressive questions regarding her childhood. Anna mentions the loss of her brother who was a year older than her and committed suicide when he was 16. When Ingrid asks why he killed himself, Anna replies, “Love.”
After dinner, Martyn drops off Anna and Stephen follows them. Once he leaves, Stephen talks to Anna about how much he “wanted to touch her during dinner.” They have sex on the floor and in the bed. It is in bed that Anna describes in detail the suicide of her one year older brother at age 16 after he had expressed an incestuous desire for her, saying “he wanted me all to himself and not to grow up.” She also says that damaged people are dangerous and she hates a possessive relationship with anyone.
Damage (1993)
Directed by: Louis Malle
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Rupert Graves, Ian Bannen, Leslie Caron, Peter Stormare, Tony Doyle, Susan Engel, David Thewlis
Screenplay by: Louis Malle
Production Design by: Brian Morris
Cinematography by: Peter Biziou
Film Editing by: John Bloom
Costume Design by: Milena Canonero
Set Decoration by: Philippe Turlure
Art Direction by: Richard Earl
Music by: Zbigniew Preisner
MPAA Rating: R for strong sexuality, and for language.
Distributed by: New Line Cinema
Release Date: December 9, 1992 (France), February 5, 1993 (UK), January 22, 1993
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